It’s been awhile since I’ve stalled one of my test cars. But I stalled the 2008 Mazda RX-8 at least three times. I was feeling pretty pathetic until I let a friend, who drives a manual transmission vehicle every day, pull the car into the garage. He immediately stalled it.
I laughed with relief. It wasn’t just me.
2008 Mazda RX-8
Rotary engine animation
You may have noticed that there is a 20 horsepower discrepancy between an RX-8 with a manual transmission and one with an automatic. This is unique (there's that word again) to a rotary-powered vehicle. Here's why:
The rotary engine makes its peak horsepower at high revs -- 8,500 rpm in the case of the 2008 Mazda RX-8. Because of the design limitations and the need for longevity, the torque converter in an automatic transmission, can’t handle those high revolutions. As such, the automatic RX-8s are rev-limited to 7,500 rpm, so that’s where the engine makes its peak horsepower. Both manual and automatic RX-8s use the same engine, so if the automatic transmission could accept higher revs, it would make the same horsepower as the manual transmission RX-8.
The clutch on the RX-8 is very stiff and very, very temperamental. If you don’t release it just right, well, you stall. As I quickly discovered, this is not a car that does well in Chicago traffic. Luckily, my commute is mostly during off-traffic times, so I could enjoy the acceleration more than be frustrated by the clutch.
The RX-8 is powered by a 1.3-liter rotary engine, and since the test vehicle had the six-speed manual transmission, the horsepower rating rang in at 232. With the automatic transmission, the rating drops to 212 horsepower.
While I like the RX-8 of its own volition, it’s the rotary engine that makes the car unique.
Unique is one of those overused words in the American vernacular. There are very few things in the world that are truly incomparable or that serve as the sole example of something. So, it is with complete understanding of the word “unique” that I say, again: The Mazda RX-8 is a unique sports car.
Since the crux of its uniqueness centers around its RENESIS (Rotary Engine geNISIS) engine, it might be helpful to break the operation of this engine down to its simplest terms. A triangular rotor turns in an oval combustion chamber, and the three points of the rotor divide the chamber in three. As it turns, the rotor takes in the fuel/air mixture, compresses it, burns it and expels the exhaust. Unless you are a visual person, it can be kind of hard to imagine, so I managed to find a really good animated illustration online. As you can see, this is incredibly different than a conventional piston engine, which carries out the combustion process in a cylinder.
The RX-8 is the only mass-produced consumer sports car powered by a rotary engine. I’d call that unique.
Developed by Dr. Felix Wankel in 1957, the rotary engine first appeared in a Mazda vehicle in 1967: The Cosmo Sport 110S. With the 2008 model of the RX-8, Mazda is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine and has created a limited-edition model commemorating four decades of rotary.
The test vehicle was a 40th Anniversary model and had a base price of $32,005. The Metropolitan Gray Mica exterior paint, Cosmo Red leather interior and 40th Anniversary badging command a premium as this price is about $5K more than regular RX-8 model. The only option added to the test vehicle was Sirius Satellite Radio ($430), so the as-tested price was $32,435.
From its quirky looks to its sporty ride, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the test vehicle. There aren’t too many RX-8s on the road, so I also liked the fact that it was relatively unusual. Made it easier to find the car in a parking lot.
The exterior design is low-slung and looks like nothing else out there. Other Mazdas mimic the buglike headlights and the pronounced wheel wells, but I can’t point to any other vehicle that has a similar design. Part of that involves another unique feature: two rear-access doors.
With 32.2 inches of leg room in the rear, there isn’t much space for taller passengers, but at least they’ll be able to wedge themselves back there easily via the rear-access doors. I did manage to fit two adult passengers in the car without completely uncomfortable results, and the rear passenger wasn’t even sitting behind me in my far-forward driving position.
While the back seat is somewhat roomy for passengers, the rear bucket seats with a center console make it difficult to slide anything onto the back seat. I was thinking about buying a new kitchen table during the test week, but ended up holding off because of the divided back seat.
Inside and out, there are a series of triangles that hearken back to the shape of the rotary. From the triangle under the rear bumper to the triangular indent on the hood to the triangle on the gearshift to the triangle holes in the headrests, you are constantly reminded that this is a different car with a different engine.
I like the blue backlighting on the gauges when the headlights are off. But this keeps things bright enough at night that you might forget to turn on your headlights. Which I did a couple times. Once, I didn’t even notice until I got all the way home and was trying to traverse my dark alley. Something that would be helpful is auto-on headlights. I passed a cop, but luckily he was speeding down the street with lights flashing chasing some other unlucky driver.
Even though I’m short, I found a good driver’s position with the eight-way power adjustments. The seats were comfortable, and the side bolsters were supportive without being overwhelming.
Because I sat lower in the vehicle, I did notice an unusual blind spot. The side mirrors were at eye level for me. Combine that with the A-pillar, and I had to do a lot of bending and stretching to look around a corner before turning. For example, at a four-way stop, I couldn’t see the vehicle to my left also sitting at the stop sign unless I physically moved my body looking up and forward.
I did have a few issues, however, that had nothing to do with my size. First, the rear-access doors combine to create a chunky B-pillar that blocks your view as you check your blind spots. Another problem is the cup holders. They’re positioned behind the gearshift, so you constantly hit any beverages nestled in them with your elbow as you shift.
The last problem I had is definitely more of a female-centered issue. There is a small gap between the dead pedal and the floor, which I never would have noticed wearing my regular 2-inch heels. But one day, I wore spiky heels, and the pointed tip of my left heel got stuck under the dead pedal and scared the snot out of me as I was trying to move my foot to the clutch to do a quick shift. That was definitely a new one.
Overall, I was incredibly pleased with the performance of the RX-8. It cornered well, and I had a blast pushing through the gears for a quick acceleration. The stiff suspension gives a great connection to the road, which can be a lot of fun on winding roads. It also means you have to be especially careful over railroad tracks and the plentiful Chicago potholes.
The RX-8 is definitely a mixed bag of quirks and fun, but it’s worth a test drive if you’re looking for something sporty. All things told, the RX-8 is a unique alternative to the traditional sports car.
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